In Kolkata, opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari slammed the West Bengal Police on Sunday for blocking a peaceful rally by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The event marked the RSS’s 100 years of national service, and Adhikari called the police action outright tyranny.
Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, vented his anger in a statement. He described the police as “puppets of the despotic TMC regime” under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The rally, known as a Path Sanchalan or route march, aimed to celebrate the RSS’s century of dedication to nation-building. But Adhikari said the obstruction hit hard at a patriotic group and trampled democratic rights, including freedom of assembly.
He painted a grim picture of West Bengal under Banerjee’s rule. “It’s become a breeding ground for oppression,” Adhikari charged, where Hindu cultural events face roadblocks, nationalist organizations like the RSS get shut down, and criminals or infiltrators run loose. Instead of maintaining law and order, he accused the police of targeting voices of nationalism and unity. “Shame on you, Mamata Police,” his statement concluded.
Neither the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) nor the police responded right away to the accusations.
The RSS’s centenary celebrations in West Bengal took a unique twist this year. Across India, the biggest gatherings to honor the organization’s 100 years happen on Vijaya Dashami. But in West Bengal, they shifted the main events to Mahalaya, an earlier Hindu festival.
RSS publicity head Biplab Roy shared details with reporters. The group planned shakhas—local meetings—in about 1,000 spots statewide, with around 300 in South Bengal and the rest in central and north regions. “We’ve received photos and videos from nearly every location,” Roy said, showing the programs went ahead smoothly in most places despite the issues in Maheshtala.
This clash highlights ongoing tensions between the BJP-led opposition and the TMC government in West Bengal, especially around RSS activities and police handling of public events.
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